GORHAM — Rachel Kennedy scored twice in the first half as Bowdoin College, ranked second nationally, pulled away early with four goals in a 20-minute span on the way to a 7-0 victory over the University of Southern Maine in a nonconference field hockey game Thursday afternoon.

Kimmy Ganong and Liz Znamierowski also scored in the first half for the Polar Bears (10-1), who held a 30-5 shot advantage in the game.

Mettler Growney, Pam Herter and Colleen Finnerty added second-half goals.

Hannah Garter was forced to make just one save in 621/2 minutes in goal for Bowdoin. Liz Rill went untested in finishing the shutout.

Amanda Kasbohm and Angela Porrazzo combined for 16 saves for the Huskies (6-9).

WOMEN’S SOCCER

HARTFORD 0, MAINE 0: Claudia Dube-Trempe made four saves for the Black Bears (3-7-5, 1-1-4 America East) as they played to a draw with the Hawks (8-2-4, 4-0-1) at Orono.

Jessica Jurg made six saves for the first-place Hawks.

The Black Bears had a scoring chance in the closing seconds of regulation, but a header by Charlene Achille went over the net.

Maine had a 12-11 advantage in shots but were outshot 5-2 by the Hawks in overtime.

NOTES

MEN’S BASKETBALL: Kentucky Coach John Calipari said the Wildcats are so deep it feels like he is coaching two teams.

Besides returning six regulars from last year’s NCAA runner-up squad, the Wildcats added four high school All-Americans and begin another season with expectations of a championship.

Their frontcourt returns 7-footers Willie Cauley-Stein and Dakari Johnson, along with forwards Marcus Lee and Alex Poythress.

Twin 6-6 guards Aaron and Andrew Harrison are back with their length, scoring and floor leadership in the backcourt. Add in recruits Karl-Anthony Towns (6-11), Trey Lyles (6-10), Devin Booker and Tyler Ulis, and the Wildcats could have a 12-player rotation.

With so much depth, Calipari vows to employ a platoon system to get the most out of players.

“We’ve got a lot of learning to do and I’m not convinced of what the groups will look like,” Calipari said during Thursday’s media day session. “Yesterday or two days ago I changed the groups a little bit, I didn’t like them and I went back.

“We may change some big guys and switch them on different teams to see what that looks like because at the end of the day I’m coaching two teams. … The best teams that I’ve coached, I’ve coached six guys. That being said, I’m doing it twice now.”

Whether Calipari’s five-for-five strategy works and for how long during the season remains to be seen. If nothing else, Kentucky’s attempt should add even more intrigue to a season in which the Wildcats have already sparked huge expectations.

“This year it’s more the outside influences that will affect these guys and how strong they are,” Calipari added. “The only expectations I have, again (is) making this work for all these kids. If we do that, they’ll drag this where it’s supposed to go.”

The Wildcats’ spotlight figures to grow after they were voted No. 1 in the preseason USA Today coaches poll announced Thursday. And they’re less than a week removed from a Calipari-organized combine before scouts from all 30 NBA teams.

Kentucky’s fervent fan base will get its first glimpse at the talent-laded roster during Friday night’s Big Blue Madness exhibition at Rupp Arena.

FIELD HOCKEY: The America East Conference announced California, UC-Davis, Pacific and Stanford will be added as associate members for field hockey starting with the 2015 season.

The four schools will join Albany, Maine, UMass-Lowell, New Hampshire and Vermont, the current America East schools that compete in field hockey.

Fairfield, which has been an associate member for field hockey since 2007, will be playing in the MAAC starting next season.

The California schools will form a West Division and the five current members will play in the East Division.

The America East championship tournament will consist of eight teams – four from each division – with the winner receiving an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.

FOOTBALL: Georgia star tailback Todd Gurley’s alleged rules violations were discussed Thursday in a meeting between top school officials and NCAA eligibility staff.

Following the meeting in Indianapolis, University of Georgia president Jere Morehead said in a statement, “There is no new news at this time and no further comment is necessary.”

Coach Mark Richt said early Thursday on his Twitter feed he expects Gurley’s indefinite suspension to continue for No. 10 Georgia’s game at Arkansas on Saturday.

The NCAA said Thursday it hasn’t received Georgia’s request for Gurley’s eligibility to be restored.

• LSU and Miami will open the 2018 season at the $1.2 billion home of the Dallas Cowboys.

The 10th contest in the season-opening Cowboys Classic will be the first regular-season meeting between the schools since 1988. The Labor Day weekend date for the game is Sept. 1, 2018.

The Tigers and Hurricanes met most recently in the 2005 Chick-fil-A Bowl, won by LSU, 40-3. Miami won at LSU 44-3 in the last regular-season meeting.

LSU is 3-0 at the home of the Cowboys, twice winning the season-opening event and beating Texas A&M in the Cotton Bowl to finish the 2010 season.

Miami has yet to play in the 80,000-seat stadium that will be the site of the first championship game in the new College Football Playoff this season.

• Notre Dame Coach Brian Kelly said he has invited safety Eilar Hardy to return to the roster, although he has academic work to complete before he can practice.

Kelly said Hardy hopes to get the work completed next week when fifth-ranked Notre Dame (6-0) is on fall break. He said Hardy is the only one of five players who have been held out of games he’s talked with who could return to the roster this season.

Hardy, defensive lineman Ishaq Williams, receiver DaVaris Daniels, linebacker Kendall Moore and cornerback KeiVarae Russell have been held from practices and games since August while the school investigated whether homework and papers they turned in had been completed by others.

Russell and Williams have said they plan to return to school in June.

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